The mythological, romantic, and fun Midsummer is just a few days away!
It is safe to say that this holiday is one of the Swede’s favorite holidays. Since the food, and drinks are a vital part of every midsummer celebration, we have decided to compile a Midsummer menu, recipes included, for you to try. If you’re not the home chef type, make sure to support your local Scandinavian caterer/café/restaurant by ordering your Midsummer food from them.
So, what do the Swedes typically eat during midsummer?
Potatoes, sour cream & chives, and dill, so much dill.
We are starting out easy. Peel and boil some potatoes with dill.
Chop some chives and sprinkle on top of the sour cream.
Salmon
All shapes and forms of salmon would work here, but typically gravlax or cold-smoked salmon are the crowd favorites. Serve with either mustard & dill sauce or rom sauce. We found a great selection of sauces at the Swedish online food store, Swedishness.
Skagen toast
One of the best dishes to ever hail out of Sweden. You are most definitely going to want to serve this on your midsummer table. The one and only, Big Swede BBQ, makes the best Skagen Toast we’ve tried so far.
Recipe: Toast Skagen With A Twist
Smörgåstårta
Smörgåstårta is one of the Swede’s best party tricks. This dish is easy to make, versatile enough to fit anyone’s palate, dietary restrictions, or preferences, and it’s filling. Also, a smörgåstårta is a sure sign of summer in Sweden.
[Recipe] Swedish Sandwich Cake – Smörgåstårta
Recipe: Smoked Salmon Sandwich Cake (Smörgåstårta)
Pickled Herring
Ah, the pickled herring! A staple on the Midsummer, Christmas, Easter, any table really. We found a recipe from honest-food.net for you brave souls out there, but you can also go the easy route and click home a few jars of herring from Amazon, or check out the large selection of herring at Swedishness. We’re especially curious about the Limited Edition: Asian Fusion Herring from ABBA.
Surströmming
Pickled herrings evil cousin. Look, we’re not saying you have to, but is it really a Swedish midsummer without surströmming? Effectively striking out your family and friends for a good couple of minutes is the best way to start a party. Fair warning – if you are indoors, don’t bother unless you are willing to repaint the walls in your house.
Meatballs
No surprise here. Some have them, some don’t. If you’re not into the fishy stuff, meatballs are a good substitute. We’ve included IKEA’s recipe here. And there’s a vegetarian version too. Hooray!
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Schnapps & Akvavit
This could get tricky as schnapps in the United States normally is not the same as snaps in Scandinavia. But, there are a few companies in the United States that sell akvavit. We suggest looking into brands like Norden Aquavit or Åhus Akvavit.
Cheese
During Midsummer, Swedes enjoy a variety of cheeses, with Jarlsberg, Hushållsost, and Västerbotten being among the favorites. Jarlsberg, similar to the popular Swedish cheese Herrgårdsost, is widely available in grocery stores across the U.S., including Whole Foods.
Västerbotten cheese, however, is considered the true holiday cheese in Sweden but can be quite difficult to find in the U.S. Although some specialty stores carry it, we recommend trying Swedishness, where we successfully ordered our Västerbotten cheese. If you can get your hands on Västerbotten or Hushållsost, it would most definitely be worth the effort for that authentic touch to your Midsummer celebration.
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Did we miss a popular dish or recipe? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on social media or at hello@swedesinthestates.com
This article was originally published on June 18, 2020 and has since then been edited and updated.
